Guizhou Province, a scenic area in southwest China, is to join with the World Tourism Organizationand the National Tourism Administration to compile a tourism development program for Guizhou.

A ceremony was held Monday to mark the occasion in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou Province. On hand were representatives of the World Tourism Organization, the National Tourism Administration, Guizhou Province and the Ireland International Tourism Co.

After fierce competition, the Ireland International Tourism Co. won the bid. It will work out a 20-year tourism development scheme for Guizhou. The compilation should be done before October this year.

The project is to cost US 360,000, which will be provided in LOans by the World Bank.

This mountainous province is becoming a hot new tourism attraction with 20,000 springs and karst landforms. The tourism income of Guizhou has increased at an annual rate of 30 percent over the past two years.

( Xinhua News Agency April 17, 2002 )